“At Huntington and Malibu, they’re shooting the pier/At Rincon, they’re walking the nose,” Mike Love sang on the Beach Boys’ breakthrough hit, “Surfin’ Safari,” in 1962. It wasn’t the last time Surf City factored in pop music history. Here are some of the famous bands and artists connected with Huntington Beach:
Jan and Dean
The lyrics of their 1963 hit “Surf City” don’t specify Huntington, but when Dean Torrence moved here in 1991, he campaigned to officially bestow that nickname on the city. The Marketing and Visitors Bureau thanks him.
Dick Dale
The surf guitar pioneer was a common face around Huntington venues in the 1960s.
The Vandals
The venerable punk band formed here in 1980.